Lonnie Donegan - Hard Travelling

[Shakermaker1995]

James "Jimmy" Page was in a skiffle band in his teens. Reminds me of American folk music... and no it is not corny. It's bad ass. Lonnie influenced so many. You mentioned the Beatles. Enough said.

[chrisanddi]

This is the Elvis era, Rock and Roll started in the 50's not 60's.

[mrgoodintent]

@chrisanddi Could not have put it better myself & I'm British. A lot of the British in these Isles don't seem to realise that the 1950's was a revolutionary decade in its own rights before the popular 1960's beat group era evolved!

[ThrashRoC]

brilliant !!!



[Diogenes1360]

I say! Well done!

[FoxRunMan]

I don't know if this is folk rock, rockabilly or what, but Lonnie had a unique style and was very good at delivering it. When I was a teenager, I heard his "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor On The Bedpost Overnight" which got some radio play. That's all I knew of him, I didn't like it much, and kind of wrote him off as a joke. But, after recently discovering some of his other work on YouTube, I have a very different opinion.

[buckley54]

Jack Elliot hated all British skiffle especially the Vipers. But he liked Lonnie Donegan for some reason he didn't know

[MYJIFFEY3]

Saw Lonnie way back at the Tavistock restaurant,the power failed , but the man got a group up from all the groups there , and we had a very good evening without amps . the man had talent , and I am proud to have been in his fan club from the off .

[dehall501]

awesome



[odor9]

LOve to see Lonnie on You Tube. For years I heard the Beatles and every other Brit performer talk about Skiffle and Lonnie Donnegan. The man was a genius!

[satanasdelincuente]

In the Van Morrison concert he screams "You can't afford me!" very burlesque.... but he was the man who introduced all the British musicians to American music.

[warrior10002]

i love this guy!

[pirate259]

@lupine22 Hehe.......quite right too!

[IPAWNMYQUEENS]

yeah lol

[mhatlie]

...and by the way, Robin Williams was born in the early 1950s, so he was alive in 1958, of course.

[mhatlie]

In 1958 he looked like Robin Williams looked in 1978 or so. That is what I mean - obviously.

[mhatlie]

He looks like Robin Williams - nanu nanu!

[IPAWNMYQUEENS]

this stalking stuff is not funny one day you have to pay

[zaaritha]

Great skiffle!

[Col7777]

He He, is that Micky & Griff in the background, I remember them on some of his shows?

[Wadsleyite]

@Col7777 Yes - that's Miki and Griff - there never was a better duo, and they often appeared with Lonnie. I saw Lonnie, Miki & Griff and Alma Cogan at the Hippodrome in London in 1957. My goodness - that's a long time ago....

[Col7777]

@Wadsleyite

I saw Lonnies son Peter and his band not long ago, he appeared at my cousin's husband's birthday and he got the chance to sing with him too.

[Col7777]

@Wadsleyite

I saw Lonnie's son Peter and his band not long ago, he appeared at my cousin's husband's birthday and he got the chance to sing with him too.

[porkinwitz]

you know smoething,,,,,..............he kind of looks a little like woody a bit.

[satanasdelincuente]

I know: to Americans this is corny and sounds like a parody of Woody and Lead Belly but this is THE guy who influenced Van Morrison and The Beatles and other Brits/irish.

[sunriseRISE]

@satanasdelincuente . TO ME .this is WAY better= more edgy .. that the middleclass newport types..better than ramberlin jack,,, woody and SEEGER and dylan....With lonnie to look up to no wonder the british invaded the USA

[explosivejohnny]

@satanasdelincuente amazing guy, don't blame him for the fucking beatles

[bostonteabagger71739]

@satanasdelincuente this guy rules.

[bostonteabagger71739]

@satanasdelincuente im american and this sounds awesome to me. not corny at all.

[mrgoodintent]

Amen to that & I'm British. Infact the 1950's was a great revolutionary decade both in USA , Britain & elsewhere musically speaking. 'Joe Public' , so to speak, needs to wake up to the fact that all these great sounds happened well before the popular beat group sounds of the 1960's!!

[bulbheadmyass]

Awesome. Love it.

[HellooooDave]

And all this before the Beatles.

[bedsdavec]

This Lonnie pop style for TV. The Donegan that inspired rock/blues groups was before fame. Most great blues/jazz performances never recorded

[anty66]

Donegan in full flight. Great stuff. A man slightly ouf of control, dont we love it!

[sleaponit21]

thats micki & griff doin backing vocals, lovely couple

[privateclem]

No disrespect to Lonnie Donegan, but his Hard Travelin' sounds like a parody of the King of Folk Woody Guthrie! I know many Brits are fans of skiffle, but it's British interpretation of American roots music just doesn't cut it!! Now, if we're talking traditional Irish or Scottish music that is a diff. story.

[moveonupcb]

def not his intention to do parody. Lonnie just loved playing all kind of folk music whether english, scottish, irish american. He was a cockney from london - it's just his london character coming through!

[sarahsarahnow]

this is so great!

[evilluke1]

someone found the interpretation by pete seeger? Searching it... cause it's totally awesome. So far

[auchterlonielover26]

"jvmongrel" you know, see it too don't you? i soo want to see it happen now lol! :]

[auchterlonielover26]

"overandout58" i understand your loyalty and respect to Lonnie, who is indeed one of the greats, but obviously you have not seen what one of the best American actors (named christened Robin Williams) is quite capable of? His character "Mork" on an old 70s show here called "Mork and Mindy" basically consisted of this very energy and voice Lonnie displays here. If its anyone that has the talent, and looks alone Robins the man. Don't EVER compare Dick Van Dyk to Robin Williams and his impressions.

[overandout58]

not really Lonnie was a Londoner, you cant have an American do one of the greats,

remember Dick Van Dyke ? = Mary Poppins,

[Dannys998877]

But Lonnie was Scottish, born in Glasgow.

[auchterlonielover26]

Is it just me or could anyone else see Robin Williams playing the roll of Lonnie in a Hollywood bio film? lol..

[jvmongrel]

Haha, yeah now that you mention it!

[anthony1962]

Just recently discovered Lonnie Donegan's music but there's a touch of Donegan in early Johnny Cash on SUN and especially in the style of the great Johnny Horton IMO.

[mrbassman57]

lonnie at his best,,,

[howapel]

Who's this? Never heard of him, but pretty decent version of one the best songs ever.

[superhooper1983]

Lonnie has a brilliant voice

[bolivianex]

Saw Lonnie in 1961 in Great Yarmouth

along with Miki and Griff

and Des O'Connor Compared the Show

[kylecrazyford]

Another one of those great solos of Les in this song and that great skiffle sound i always hear from Lonnie.

[ohisashiburi]

Saw Lonnie at a busmens outing as a kid..gotta love this...forever missed!

[patricksongs]

This is fantastic just love the video, 5 star rated

[bulbheadmyass]

What a great version this is!

[snickensquabble]

Another of Lonnie's great ones ! Watch his bass player. Is it "legal" for a man to have so much fun doing his job ?

[bj4077]

Simply fantastic!

[tomtesticle]

great. Check out Woodie Guthrie's version

[hillneerg]

and nice to see Miki and Griff with him.

A great performer and entertainer who had a massive influence on British music

(look at the old top 10s of the 50's).

[britheath]

les bennetts gutar..a pioneer late 50s ..one of the top flight guitarists at that time

[miserichord]

Brill !

[quixall1]

Great live performance from an artist who sadly is no longer with us.

[blackheartlewis]

I LOVE LONNIE.